Walrus

Kaboodle, a 14 year-old Walrus at SeaWorld Orlando, welcomed her first calf in early June. This is a first for the SeaWorld Orlando family, and they are justifiably excited!

According to SeaWorld’s animal care ambassadors, who kept a close watch on Kaboodle throughout her pregnancy, mom and calf immediately bonded and have been inseparable ever since.

Guests won’t be able to see Kaboodle and her calf, just yet. The adorable pair is currently under 24-hour care with their husbandry team to make sure than mom and calf are growing and thriving together.

The Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flippered marine mammal with distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only living species in the family Odobenidae and genus Odobenus. This species is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic Walrus (O. r. rosmarus) which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Walrus (O. r. divergens) which lives in the Pacific Ocean, and O. r. laptevi, which lives in the Laptev Sea of the Arctic Ocean.

Adult Walruses are recognized by their prominent tusks, whiskers, and bulkiness. Adult males in the Pacific can weigh more than 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) and are exceeded in size only by the two species of Elephant Seals.

Walruses live mostly in shallow waters above the continental shelves, spending significant amounts of their lives on the sea ice looking for benthic bivalve mollusks to eat. Walruses are relatively long-lived, social animals, and they are considered to be a "keystone species" in the Arctic marine regions.

Gestation lasts 15 to 16 months. The first three to four months are spent with the blastula in suspended development before it implants itself in the uterus. This strategy of delayed implantation, common among pinnipeds, presumably evolved to optimize both the mating season and the birthing season, determined by ecological conditions that promote newborn survival. Calves are born during the spring migration, from April to June. They weigh about 45 to 75 kg (99 to 165 lb) at birth and are able to swim.

Mothers nurse for over a year before weaning, but the young can spend up to five years with the mothers. Calves are born with robust whiskers, which help identify the shellfish they can eat. Because ovulation is suppressed until the calf is weaned, females give birth at most every two years, leaving the Walrus with the lowest reproductive rate of any pinniped.

Walruses live about 20-30 years in the wild.

While Walruses are not yet classified as a threatened species by the IUCN, they have been adversely affected by global climate change. That’s where SeaWorld Orlando has stepped in to help. With the permission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the park has been able to aid and care for orphaned Walrus calves.

The dramatic journey of two male Pacific Walrus calves, found
stranded this summer near Barrow, Alaska, made a huge leap forward this week when
they arrived at their new permanent homes – the Indianapolis Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York
Aquarium.

The touching stories of Mitik and Pakak, each just a few months
old, began when they were found alone and suffering from dehydration on
separate occasions in late July.The tale
of their rescue and rehabilitation at the Alaska SeaLife Center was first
chronicled by ZooBorns on July
27 and their progress updated on August
10.Readers around the world were captivated
by the way the calves immediately bonded with their caregivers through touching
and snuggling.

Walrus are very tactile and social animals, and the
dedicated staff and caretakers at the SeaLife Center provided the social
interaction that the calves needed. Walrus calves almost immediately adjust to
human care, so they are not candidates for release back into the wild.

Because the SeaLife Center is it not large enough
to permanently house all the wildlife it rescues, Pakak moved last week to the Indianapolis
Zoo and Mitik traveled to the New York Aquarium. The staffs at each institution are understandably
thrilled with their new arrivals, but fans will have to wait awhile to see the
new calves: both will undergo a routine
quarantine period, with numerous health checks, before being introduced to the
adult Walruses living at each zoo. It
may be several months before the calves are seen by the public.

The 24-hour care the calves received at the Alaska
SeaLife Center continues in their new homes, fulfilling their nutritional and
social needs until they are introduced to their new companions. In Indianapolis, Patak will join longtime zoo
resident Aurora; Mitik will share the New York Aquarium’s exhibit with Kulu,
age 17, and Nuka, age 30.

Both calves were in poor health at the timke of their
rescue, but have steadily improved during their rehabilitation period. The calves currently weigh about 240 pounds,
and as adults they could weigh more than 1,500 pounds.

Walruses
face environmental threats in their Arctic habitat. Because of the lack of
suitable ice, more and more Walruses are congregating on land. Overcrowding in
these areas may play a role in spreading disease among populations.

Two weeks ago we brought you the touching story of an orphaned Pacific Walrus calf rescued, cared for and comforted at Alaska SeaLife Center. Today we check back-in on the 275 lb. toddler and see he is making good progress and enjoying playtime in his pool. This calf also marks the first patient in Alaska SeaLife Center's newest animal care area, the I.Sea.U critical care unit.

On June 8, the I.Sea.U was officially opened during World Oceans Day festivities as a nursery for stranded Sea Otters. Since no live Sea Otters were admitted to the stranding program this summer, the I.Sea.U remained unoccupied until now. “We prepared first for our most common species requiring intensive care, the Northern Sea Otter. Readying the space to house walrus had been planned for Phase 2 this coming winter, but we’ve gotten there more quickly with this pressing need,” said Brett Long, the Center’s husbandry director. The new unit will also have dedicated staff support and is physically separated from the other established stranding areas of the building.

Great video of the Pacific Walrus calf rocking out in his pool

The unit was made possible through the generous donations from Barbara Weinig, the MK LeLash Foundation, ConocoPhillips, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, and the Minnesota Zoo. The Alaska SeaLife Center is the only permanent marine rehabilitation center in Alaska responding to stranded marine mammals. The Center responded to four stranded walrus calves between 2003 and 2007, but this year’s calves are the first walrus admitted in the last five years.

Once a stranded marine mammal is admitted to the ASLC, it receives care from an experienced and dedicated veterinary and animal care staff. The Alaska SeaLife Center operates a 24-hour hotline for the public to report stranded marine mammals or birds, and encourages people who have found a stranded or sick marine animal to avoid touching or approaching the animal; instead, those individuals should call 1-888-774- SEAL (7325).

This past Saturday, local fisherman spotted an orphan Pacific Walrus calf on floating ice near Barrow, Alaska. After a period of observation from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a rescue was approved and Alaska SeaLife Center staff and a local veterinarian prepared the 200lb. baby for airlift to Anchorage and transport by modified truck to ASLC in Seward.

The calf is suckling readily from a bottle, feeding every three hours around the clock, and consuming nearly 1,400 calories at each feed. He is actively seeking attention from care-givers, and vocalizing when left alone. “Walrus are incredibly tactile, social animals,” said Stranding Coordinator Tim Lebling. “Walrus calves typically spend about two years with their mothers, so we have to step in to provide that substitute care and companionship.” Walrus calves almost immediately habituate to human care and therefore are not candidates for release following rehabilitation.

The video below is one of the most touching ZooBorns has had the privilige to share

The calf appears to be in good condition; however, Center veterinarians have identified and are addressing some health concerns while performing additional diagnostic testing to better understand his condition. If you would like to contribute to this calf's care, you can do so here.

Sixteen-month-old Pacific walrus Akituusaq shows off his new set of titanium crowns at his home in Sea Cliffs at the New York Aquarium. “Aki” was fitted with these crowns by Wildlife Conservation Society Global HealthProgramveterinariansworking with a dental consultantto protect his tusks from damage during growth. Aki seems to be adjusting well to his new armor.